Culture

From December 17-18, three Soka Gakkai drum and bugle corps participated in the 39th All-Japan Marching Band and Baton Twirling Contest sponsored by the Japan Marching Band & Baton Twirling Association at the Saitama Super Arena. ... read more

The Min-On Concert Association invited a group of musicians and dancers from Jamaica to showcase the island's culture in "Jamaica Rocks!"--a show which toured 24 cities in Japan between September 9 and October 19. ... read more

In celebration of European Heritage Days, SGI-Germany's Villa Sachsen Grand Culture Center in Bingen held an Open Day on September 11. The villa, designated an important historic and cultural monument in the city, attracted over 1,300 visitors. ... read more

SGI-Brazil's young men's Taiyo (Sun) Brass Band and young women's Nova Era (New Era) Fife-and-Drum Corps participated in Brazil's Independence Day celebrations throughout the country on September 7. ... read more

On August 9, the Singapore Soka Association (SSA) participated in Singapore's National Day Parade (NDP) 2011, at Marina Bay--an event attended by some 30,000 people. The event marked the country's 46th year of independence. ... read more

The exhibition "Beyond the Horizon," a collection of photographs taken by the Hato-kai--a group of SGI men involved in maritime occupations--was shown at the biggest maritime event, Hanse Sail Rostock, in Rostock City, Germany, from August 8-14. ... read more

On July 17, SGI-Philippines held a Youth Friendship Culture Festival at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City near Manila, commemorating the 150th anniversary of the birth of José Rizal (1861-96) and the 20th anniversary of SGI President Daisaku Ikeda’s first visit to the Philippines. ... read more

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and China, the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum (TFAM) is exhibiting The Palace of Heaven on Earth: Works from the Palace Museum in Beijing, at the Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art. ... read more

At the invitation of Taiwan Soka Association's (TSA) Chin Shuan Cultural and Educational Foundation, the Russian Folk Ensemble held six performances in the cities of Kaohsiung, Changhua and Taipei. ... read more

Taiwan Soka Association held a Community Friendship Culture Festival themed "Cherish Earth, Love Taiwan" in 95 venues throughout Taiwan from April 3 to May 22. More than 4.1 million people participated in this event. ... read more

SGI-Nepal held its third Culture Festival on May 17, at the Rashtriya Nach Ghar, a culture hall in Kathmandu. The festival, which involved five months of preparation by 170 stage performers and a team of 55 behind-the-scenes support staff, drew an audience of 1,000--some 600 more people than in 2008. ... read more

On March 31, a photo contest with the theme "Flowers of Panama" was held at the SGI-Panama Peace Auditorium in Panama City. The contest, inspired by SGI President Daisaku Ikeda's February 1987 poem dedicated to SGI-Panama members, aimed to promote appreciation for the beauty of Panamanian flowers and respect for the environment. ... read more

On March 5-7, SGI-Argentina held a Soka Youth Peace Culture Festival at the SGI-Argentina Peace Auditorium in Buenos Aires. The event commemorated March 16, a day within the SGI that symbolizes the mentor entrusting his disciples with the task of working for world peace. ... read more

On February 12, Singapore Soka Association (SSA) members performed in the 2011 Chinese New Year Chingay Parade at Singapore's Marina Bay. S. R. Nathan, President of Singapore, attended the event.Spearheading the procession was a dragon dance display consisting of a pair of 88-meter long dragons, manned by dancers from Xi'an, China. ... read more

From January 29-30, SGI-Hong Kong held a culture festival at AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong. Guests totaled 30,000 and included Jao Tsung-I, emeritus professor of Chinese Language and Literature at the Chinese University of Hong Kong; Yang Wu, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Guangzhou Municipality and representatives from universities in Hong Kong and Guangzhou. ... read more

On January 22, SGI-Austria hosted a "Beethoven Festa" at the SGI-Austria Culture Center. Over 100 were treated to a piano concert of Ludwig van Beethoven's (1770-1827) works performed by various musicians and accompanied by dance. ... read more

The opening ceremony for an exhibition of the collected paintings of the renowned Taiwanese painter Liu Yu took place at Taiwan Soka Association's (TSA) headquarters, Zhi Shan Culture Center, in Taipei on January 15. More than 30 students and friends of Professor Liu attended the opening ceremony. ... read more